When Nature's Not Enough: Personal Journeys Through in Vitro Fertilization

by Diana M. Olick

In-depth, personal experiences of in vitro fertilization. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592285422
• ISBN13: 9781592285426
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

gotta-to-get-it IVF book!

I've now read several books on IVF and this one stood out to me on a really personal level. I'm pretty well informed already on all the medical info and statistics, but this book gave me a real understanding of the emotions and the real-life situations involved in doing IVF. The author gives several different stories of couples and while none of them was my exact situation, they all touched on some of the same feelings I've had and not only offered good advice, but helped me to feel like I'm not alone. I think it was beautifully written as well, and the author, while tackling a tough subject, made me laugh. I'd recommend it if you're thinking about IVF, going through it, or even if you're trying to understand what a friend is going through.

Good book when you need to hear the personal side of IVF

This book made me realize there is SO much more to IVF than just the procedure. My husband and I have just started down the road of IVF and by the personal accounts in the book I do feel better prepared. I never took into account all the emotions we will have to deal with on matters such as the embryo being formed outside my body. It is always good to know someone else's story who has walked in your shoes, so even the fears of a mix-up in the lab or even how an IVF mother feels more "delicate" during the start of her pregnancy, was a comfort to read. I like that the book is written about personal experiences, but like others have said it was a little hard to follow when word for word was written from conversations. Sometimes the people's thoughts jumped around so it left the reader to fill in the blanks. I really liked the book, but found the ending to be very disappointing. The author was still dealing with the emotional side of IVF when the book was written. So the last part of the book is of her negative thoughts. Even though I flew through the book it took me a couple days to finish the last chapter simply because I found it to be a downer compared to every chapter before it. I am glad I bought the book and would do so again even knowing how it ends.

Great help for infertile women

Authors: Diana M Olick Publisher: Lyons Press ISBN: 1-59228-542-2 Out of the three IVF books I was to review, this book is in the middle of the spectrum. One book was deeply personal to the writer (IVF: The Wayward Stork) and one was very clinical and matter of factly full of information on the procedure (The Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization). This book has several patient stories about their trials and tribulations as an IVF patient. There is no glossary or resource guide list but it does have a very good way to touch your heart. While not every story will mirror the reader's own story or reason behind exploring IVF, but it does have several accounts so that you will seethe similarities and the differences between the individuals. At 16 chapters, it is very thorough. Out of the three, it is definitely one I'd keep near as a reference for futher questions to the IVF doctor. It is one to keep with you at each stage of your own personal journey through IVF. It is a good solid guidebook that should be on every fertility-challenged person's shelf.

A personal account of In Vitro

I found this book very helpful up until I was given then news that I did not get pregnant. In this book four couples became pregnant the first time out. One couple eventually gave up. Another couple was introduced off the cuff as the "try again" set they were not even given names, but referred to as wife and husband. It seems that a good quarter of the book is devoted to the pregnancy, which I never got to. I am glad that this book is out there. It covers the process and is helpful for positive outcomes. I did not find any solace in the negative outcome here. Also, all the couples are childless before IVF. As a person with secondary infertility, I would have liked the book to cover children during IVF.

Great Resource!

Finally, the personal side of IVF! I've read a ton from doctors and psychologists on the web, but this book really gets to normal people and their day by day experiences with IVF. I particularly like that the interviews are told in their own words. You get the whole experience from start to finish and from many different scenarios. A great resource if you're looking for answers your doctor can't give you.